Restaurant Park Hotel Hartenstein in Oosterbeek, on the outskirts of Arnhem, 1945

Photograph by Frank Tomlinson, 74th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, World War Two, North West Europe (1944-1945), 1945.

A former villa, the hotel was used as the headquarters of 1st Airborne Division as they attempted to seize and hold the bridge at Arnhem during Operation MARKET GARDEN in September 1944.

Although 700 men reached the bridge, the majority of 1st Airborne could not link up with them, and were trapped in Oosterbeek. Major General Roy Urquhart, 1st Airborne's commander, established his headquarters at the hotel as they waited for British reinforcements to arrive. This was supposed to be two-to-three days, but 1st Airborne ended up fighting for nine.

The hotel was the scene of fierce fighting as the German forces slowly closed in. The sandbags visible in the foreground of the photograph and the extensive battle damage that can be seen on the hotel itself are evidence of this. In May 1978, Urquhart opened the Airborne Museum, commemorating the Battle of Arnhem, at the hotel.

From a photograph album compiled by Frank Tomlinson, 74th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, North West Europe, 1944-1946.